Following several hateful and often racist attacks on churches in the past year, D.C. is encouraging the city’s faith organizations to apply for federal funding that would support increased security measures.

The money, available through a U.S. Department of Homeland Security grant program, can be used to purchase security enhancements like cameras, locks, gates, and personnel, as well as training and planning. Grants of up to $150,000 can be awarded to a faith-based partner or eligible nonprofit organization, according to a press release D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser issued on Friday.

“Houses of Worship are a vital part of our city,” said Reverend Thomas L. Bowen, the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Religious Affairs, in the release. “They continue to stand up for the most vulnerable members of our community and offer a safe place, but in doing so they have become vulnerable to those who defy and betray our shared DC values.”

In the past year, houses of worship — often historically Black churches — have been targeted with hateful and racist vandalism. In December 2020,  two Black Lives Matter banners were destroyed at local churches— one at Asbury Methodist United Church, the city’s oldest Black methodist church, and another at Metropolitan AME Church — when far-right and white supremacist groups descended on D.C. to protest election results. Enrique Tarrio, chairman of the Proud Boys, a classified hate group with white nationalist ties and a history of violence, admitted to destroying a Black Lives Matter banner that belonged to one of the churches.

Just a week ago, a noose was found at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church on Capitol Hill.  The church’s rector, Reverend Michele Morgan, said that two Black Lives Matter banners have also been stolen in recent months: one during the Jan. 6 Capitol Insurrection, and another in mid-March.

The Metropolitan Police Department said it was investigating the noose found at St. Mark’s as a possible hate crime, but the force has drawn criticism for failing to protect Black churches in the past during moments of far-right violence. During the December pro-Trump rallies, witnesses reported that police did little to intervene, and ahead of the planned Jan. 6 rally, church leaders called for increased protection for the city’s faith centers.

Earlier in 2020, St. John’s Church downtown was burned during protests following George Floyd’s killing. Shortly after, fencing went up surrounding the church, and stayed for nearly nine months.

The grants will be managed by the city’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA), led by Director Chris Rodriguez.

“As threats against these communities continue to evolve, HSEMA remains committed to improving the safety and security of District residents and visitors,” Rodriguez says in the mayor’s press release. “The facilitation of this grant is just one way we continue to build resilience within our communities.”

To apply, a group must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and located in the National Capital Region — which includes parts of Maryland like Prince George’s and Montgomery counties, and jurisdictions in Northern Virginia. Applications are due on April 23, and HSEMA will review an organization’s mission statement and “vulnerability/risk assessment” to determine eligibility. According to HSEMA, the money will be awarded no later than Sept. 30, 2021.

This post has been updated to correct the name of the St. Mark’s Episcopal Church rector to Reverend Michele Morgan.